99 Days
by OkamixHagi
Summary: Amu is a girl seen as 'cool and spicy' at her school, and Ikuto is a boy who's being held in the clutches of his step father. Soon, these two different people will be brought together - by a bet.. T for just in case swearing
1. Chapter 1

Ohaaayo. This is .OkamixHagi.. Please call me Okami.. .!! This is my first time writing fanfiction! I never thought I'd actually do something like this – but no matter how geeky my brother says fanfiction is, I MUST SATISFY MY FANGIRL NEEDS! (Kyaaaaa ~~..)

Summary;

Amu is a girl who hides her feelings behind by putting up a 'cool and spicy' act, but inside she's a girl with insecurities. Ikuto is a boy who is treated like a puppet by the evil Easter corporation, and has a troubled past that haunts him even to this day. Little do they know, the two of them will be brought together – by a bet..

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara (Created by the team of two, Peach-Pit) or any of it's characters, I do not own any aspect of the camera brand 'Polaroid', and neither do I own, or have written, the lyrics inserted in this story ('New New Song' by Tokyo Police Club).

[Amu +++]

_You wrapped me in your spider silk.._

_And gave me hope that was diseased.._

_For while your standin' by my side.._

_You break my bones and drain my arteries.._

"Amu-chaaan !! Wake up!! This is Mama and Papa !! Wake up Amu!! Don't be la- **SMACK**"

_Augh.. I really need to get Mama and Papa to stop messing around with my alarm.._

Ohayo.. This is Amu Hinamori speaking. I am currently a middle-school student, 2nd year, at Seiyo High. Today is my birthday. Hoorah.. I guess you can tell I'm unhappy.. It's because I have no friends to celebrate me becoming 14! So pitiful. *Sigh*.

I sit up slowly, not wanting to get up. My now-opened eyes have to blink rapidly to get used to the bright light coming out from behind my translucent curtains. Soo tired! I guess I have to put on my uniform though.. Gehhhhhhhh..

As I grab my black jacket and head out the door, I pause to glance at my pink-haired, golden-eyed reflection in the mirror. Hair tie, check. Red band, pinned with a safety pin, check. Cool and spicy image.. *Sigh* Check.

"Amu-chan!! How did you like the alarm Mama and Papa made for you?" Mama asked. "With LOVE!" Papa added.

I gave them my best _ look and continued to eat my eggs.

"Oh no! Mama! Our child has grown up.. Into a moody teenager!! How could I have forgotten?! Today, my little Amu-chan.." _Oh no.._ "IS FOURTEEN!! *Cries*"

Pretending to not hear Papa's and Mama's exaggerated wails, I say goodbye to my little sister Ami and leave the Hinamori household.

* * *

[Ikuto xxx]

"Kyaa.. Teehee.. Sugoi.."

Huh? Who's that? I slowly open my eyes to reveal a girl with violet eyes and long blonde hair in pigtails holding a camera.

"Utau.. Eh, what are you doing? WHY am I wearing cat ears?!" *Sigh*, I suppose it's no surprise. I'm pretty much used to my sister's overbearing antics. But _cat ears_? At least she didn't put bunny ears, I guess.

"Ikutooo ~~!! " She squealed. "Good morning! How do you feel? Are you sick? You must be sick, oohhh then can I take care of you?? KYAAAA!!"

"Utau, I feel fine. Now, can I have those pictures? I know you always use a Polaroid. Hand them over – don't give me that puppy dog look!"

"But.. Ikutoo.. I wanna frame these! . .. Cool blue hair.. Broad shoulders.. Manly ( ) face.. All that's missing are your beautiful blue eyes! Eeeee!.." Utau fawned dreamily.

"Too bad. If you want pictures, ask me first – but don't take a picture of me in _cat ears_!" I ordered, snatching away the half developed pictures.

"Ikuto-sama, it is time for breakfast." My butler alerted.

"Thank you, Honakochi-san. Utau, you should get ready for school too. It's time to eat breakfast. Hopefully that Kazuomi pig is gone." I said darkly. I shooed my little sister out of the room and started to get dressed.

Just as I put on my cross necklace, my pet cat Yoru nuzzled my leg and purred.

"Good morning Yoru. Heh heh, you almost remind me of Utau." Yoru was a dark blue cat that I've had since I was a child. Strangely, Yoru was also pocket-sized and so I could bring him to school everyday, though no one knew.

With Yoru on my shoulder (he started nibbling my ear, so I tapped had to tap him on the forehead with my finger) I went down to eat breakfast. Crap, that Kazuomi was here.

At the large dining table, I sat 6 chairs away, across from Utau. Breakfast was a caviar omelet. The rest of the morning at home went by without a word.

* * *

[Amu +++]

Ahh, school. How lively are the students. Hey, look, it's Kiriri and Mikura.. Look at them.. Chatting.. Laughing.. Without a care in the world. Uh oh, Kiriri saw me.

"Eheh, ohayo, Kiriri!" I said smiling. Kiriri replied with a smile and a wave.

Well, actually, this is what happened;

"Hmm, you're in the way." I said coolly. And so, Kiriri and Mikura parted, and when I passed, I could hear them squeal "Cool and spicy ◊◊◊ !"

Oh no, I did it again. Why can't I just be friendly?! This is why I don't have any friends.. _Baka-Amu baka-Amu baka-Amu baka-Amu!!_ I thought all the way to class.

"Gooooood morning class! As you all should know, today is the birthday of our COOL-AND-SPICY classmate, HIMAMORI-SAN!!" Nikaidou-sensei announced, deliberately mispronouncing my name again.

I could feel the glances all around me. At the moment I was pretending to be trying to sleep with a book over my head, when in fact I was trying to hide my embarrassment. With a finger-gun motion, I said in a cool-and-spicy way, "Yo."

"Kyaaaa~!! Hinamori-san is still cool and spicy today!!" The girls squealed while the guys blushed.

This is SO embarrassing! I wish we could get moving with our lesson. Luckily, my wish was fulfilled a few minutes later.

"..So I want everyone to start studying for their fractions test next week! See you tomorrow!" Nikaidou-sensei finished. Great, a test. I suck at math.

"Ano, Hinamori-san, would you like to go do karaoke to celebrate your birthday?" A girl ribbons in her golden brown hair asked. Ah, is there another Hinamori-san in here? Wait, but it's only my birthday today.. Wah, I'm being asked to go out with.. OTHER GIRLS?! I cannot blow this!

"Eh.. Sounds okay." I replied, though I almost said. "M-ME?! REALLY?! OH MY GAWDS THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I COULD ALMOST CRY RIGHT NOW!! OF COURSE I'LL GO!!"

"Eee, cool and spicy Hinamori-san! Yay, I'm so glad you're going to come! The place is called Karaoke Easter. We'll all be walking there after school. I'm Yaya, by the way. Rima-sama, err I mean –chan, is coming too, along with Nadeshiko-chan. Seeya!" I could hardly wait. My. First. Friend. I swear, if anyone saw, I would be drifting an inch off the ground.

The rest of the day passed in a flash, and soon I was walking with the girls to Karaoke Easter. I walked along, pretending to listen to my iPod (it was actually an old, broken and used one, I got for free from a kid I saved from bullies) when I was listening in on their conversation about the singer, Hoshina Utau and her brother, Tsukiyomi Ikuto, who both attended Seiyo High.

"She's so beautiful, and her singing is amazing! And her brother is popular.." Yaya crooned. "I would give anything to hear Utau-sama" Sama? "sing!"

I've heard Hoshina Utau's songs, they're pretty good. And for her brother Ikuto.. He makes me feel uneasy.

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the karaoke place and went to the counter to order a room from the bored looking teenager at the front desk.

"Hello, welcome to Karaoke Easter. I hope you are satisfied with your visit. What room would you like to order?" He said dully.

Feeling the expectant gaze from Yaya, I casually asked, "Does it make a difference? Don't you pay by hour?"

"Well, here at Karaoke Easter, we like to ensure that each of our customers get their money's worth. The most expensive ones have better sound and are equipped with drinks and snacks. They go at 7,000 yen an hour. The cheapest one is a public one, meaning that other customers may share the room with you. They go at 1,000 yen an hour."

"Hmph. Very well, we'll take the public one. There's no point in drinks and snacks, we could just order. I doubt anyone's in the public one anyways." I guessed. This really was what I thought, though this wouldn't really be how I would want to say it.

The teen led us into a round soundproofed room. The walls were covered in posters, some advertising Hoshino Utau's newest CD, Black Butterfly, and there was a large projector screen on one side, beanbags and couches on the other sides and a small platform and microphone in the middle.

"Oi, you're right, Hinamori-san. No one's here." Rima remarked. Rima was a petite girl with long wavy blond hair. Her outer personality was also like mine, but more similar to a demanding queen. Nadeshiko, on the other hand, was a perfect lady, being brought up by an old fashioned family that prided themselves on their skill in tea ceremonies and traditional dances. Both were moderately wealthy.

"I wanna sing a song first!" Yaya decided. "Hmm.. Boom Walla Woo by Bunny Star! Yay! .. Boooo… BOOM WALLA WOO, WALLA WOO, Dance with me, WALLA WOO!.."

Rima sang after Yaya, followed by Nadeshiko. After 15 minutes, it was finally my turn. I nervously chose a random song that I knew, by the Koolkats.

I sang a few verses, glancing at the shocked expressions of my group.

…

"YouandIwhenwewerecaptainsofsubmarinesmadeofsteeldiscoveringthesevenseas.."*

"Amu-chi, that's not a song, that's a rap!"

"..No.. Yaya.. That's more like a chant.."

"Amu-san, you suck. Shut up."

"Hrmph. Yaya, your turn." I mumbled, tossing the microphone to Yaya. I was just embarrassed at having to sing, I guess..

Just when Yaya was getting to the chorus, the door opened, revealing 4 guys, one blonde, one spiky brown-orange, one green, and one.. blue.. Tsukiyomi Ikuto?!

*An excerpt from 'The Harrowing Adventures Of by Tokyo Police Club. I know it doesn't fit for a rap song, but I couldn't get the song out of my head. ^^;;.

* * *

Okami: Oh noez, I'm sorry it drags on.. gome!! I just got a little carried away. Right now it is 5:21 AM :D :D.. I feel fine though, so it's not harming my writing. Ah, and also right now the first chapter is.. well whole.. So please R/R, tell me whether you the whole chapter or not! Seeya! Arooooo ~

-Okami


	2. Chapter 2

[Amu +++]

"Well, it seems there are some cute girls here! Sadly, my heart has been taken." The spiky-haired one said. "Maybe Tadase can score a girlfriend?"

The blond one, who I guess was Tadase, blushed and hid behind the gang.

"It seems is going to be short." The glasses-guy said.

"I see.. 2 midgets and one mini-midget." Tsukiyomi Ikuto smirked. "Oh, and it seems they have a babysitter."

It took me awhile to figure out what he was saying. Yaya, Rima and I all didn't look our age, for Yaya was very childish, Rima was like a small french doll, and I just looked like an eleven or twelve year old.

"Wh-"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Rima interrupted me. Her eyes were filled with fire while her hair seemed to sway like Medusa's. "Did you call me a _mini-midget?_"

"Well, I didn't call you a mini-midget. I just said 'one mini-midget'." He reminded. Veins popped in Rima's head and we tried to hold her down, but she grabbed her sundae and threw it at him. Time seemed to slow for all but him as he grabbed Tadase and used him as a shield. _SPLAT _when the sundae, hitting the poor guy right in the face. He froze for a second, then walked out the door.

Mental note: Don't get Rima mad.

"Err, yeah. Anyways, we're doing a survey on girls and the songs. Did you enjoy the songs? Mostly, somewhat, not much, not at all. Did you think there should be more song genres? Yes, I don't mind/care, no. Did you.." Kukai went on saying the questions, then handed the board to us. I was going to point out that there was no point in reading them out first then giving us the paper, but I decided not to because it wouldn't make a difference. Soon we were all having fun, singing songs and chatting. Except Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

[Ikuto xxx]

This is getting boring. Everyone else is having fun, but karaoke isn't my thing. I tried to get Tadase drunk by putting alchohol in his tea, and it would have worked, only Tadase thought it tasted weird and tossed it away. I wonder if I should leave, Yoru won't sleep in my bag forever.

I started staring at the pink-haired girl for awhile. Amu Hinamori, was it? She looks like a 12 year old. Hmm. She's blushing.

"Wh-what are you looking at?" She stuttered. Now she was the colour of a ripe strawberry.

"Just you turning into a strawberry." She seemed at a loss for words at a second.

"!!.. You perv!" She turned back angrily towards the girl who was singing.

I ignored the other girls. The girl with pigtails was like a spoiled little brat, though a lot more childish then Utau. The blondie was more like an arrogant rich girl. And then the girl with blue hair.. She reminded me of a princess from hundreds of years ago.

"Hey, Ikuto, you seem bored. Let's make a bet!" Kukai offered.

"Hmm?" I asked, mostly uninterested.

"If I win, you let Utau and me go on as many dates as we want. If you win, I'll get Utau to stop taking pictures of you in bed." It was very tempting, but I knew Kukai's bets were usually not worth it.

"Go on." I answered.

"Okay, lemme think." He shut his eyes and put both fingers on his temples. "Ahah!

"I know," Kukai practically shouted. Then he dropped his voice into a low whisper. "Go out with Hinamori Amu for the rest of the term!"

[Amu +++]

I wonder what the guys are thinking about. Kukai's rowdy, Tadase is polite and smiling, and Kairi is reserved. And Ikuto.. From what I know, he's a haughty rich kid who doesn't like his step dad. At school I've heard him lead a gang of 4 (the guys) around and rule the school. No one dares to oppose him because they're scared of him. And he's a pervert.

I turned to listen to the music, but I soon felt Ikuto's piercing stare. I started to blush.

"Wh-what are you looking at?" I stuttered.

"Just you turning into a strawberry." He smirked. I felt uncomfortable and shy underneath his glare, although I also felt another, I guess bubbly, feeling.

"!!.. You perv!" I shot back. I angrily turned my gaze towards the platform, not wanting him to see me hide my unexpected smile. Soon it was Rima's turn at the mic, and I heard Kukai announce loudly, "I know!" Then he stuck his head back in the guy's half-huddle. Guys are so weird.

[Ikuto xxx]

"What? Not a chance in hell." I protested. I mean, Hinamori was cute and all, but I never go out with _anyone. _Besides, she's probably a squealing fangirl.

"Oh, come on, Ikuto! Just listen. If she dumps you, I win. But if you manage to ask her out and get her to say that she loves you, _you_ win. You can't dump her either. Don't ignore me! Think about it!" Kukai negotiated.

"Not worth it." I shot him a withering stare.

"C-come on, Ikuto.. I'll tell her it was all just a bet at the end of the term!"

"99 days.." Kairi added silently.

"What?" I said, eyebrow raised.

"There are 99 days left." I shot Kairi my best _ glare.

"Get Utau to surrender that picture of me with only a towel on, and you've got yourself a deal."

"Of course!" Kukai complied, and we shook hands.

[Amu +++]

"Bye guys, see you later!" I said as my new friends got on the bus. Time to walk home. Or drift home..

"Hey." I heard a voice whisper in my ear.

"Kya! Wha? Oh, it's you. I n-need to get home now, so bye, Tsukiyomi-sempai." I mumbled, backing up slowly. Ikuto matched my steps, advancing with me. Soon I was pressed against a tree.

"So, how was the karaoke?" He asked his face only 15 centimetres away. I couldn't think. My senses were clouded. I was breathing in Ikuto's scent, caught in his eyes, hearing his voice.

"Um?" I squeaked. He chuckled.

"How.. was.. the.. karaoke?" He repeated slowly.

"F-f-f-fine, Tsukiyomi-sempai. I-it was fun." I mumbled.

"Tsukiyomi-sempai? How stiff. Call me Ikuto.. Amu." I blushed hotly as he said my name.

"I..Ikuto.." Through the corner of my eye, I saw him smirk. A new surge of anger rippled through me. I shoved him back and said, "What do you w-want?!" Darn, I stuttered.

I saw Ikuto's shocked face at my courage. I don't know how I did it. He was a whole foot taller than me. Soon he recovered, and muttered, "Interesting." Then he looked back at me. "Sigh.. You know, Amu," Blush. "I thought you were really cute. So, I wanna ask you out."

"O-out? Outside? W-well, we're outside, so ask away!" I said, confused. Ikuto gave me a blank stare, then burst out laughing.

"What? What's so funny?!" I demanded.

"You, pfft, you thought.. Ah ha ha ha ha! So pitiful, Amu.. It means, do you want to go out.. On a date?" The world spun around me as I tried to process the information. I could almost see the little Amus inside my head. A team of pink-haired scientists would crowd around the words, and one of them shouted, "Eureka! He likes you!"

[Ikuto xxx]

Certainly, this girl is interesting. She actually _shoved _me! The nerve. No one _shoves _Tsukiyomi Ikuto. I would've beaten Amu up if she were a guy. But I wouldn't hurt a girl. Yes, this girl is more than I thought.

"Sigh.. You know, Amu," She blushed again. "I thought you were really cute. So, I wanna ask you out."

"O-out? Outside? W-well, we're outside, so ask away!" She said with a confused expression on her face. ..Outside? What is she talking about?.. Oh..

I burst out laughing at the patheticness of her words. "You, pfft, you thought.. Ah ha ha ha ha! So pitiful, Amu.. It means, do you want to go out.. On a date?" I waited for her reply. Moments passed.

"..Amu? Hello?" She seemed to be frozen. Is she really just a fangirl, shocked by her luck? Finally, she answered.

"WHAT?! NO! I don't even know you! And I'm 3 years younger then you! I'm not going to d-date anyone I just met!" Amu shouted angrily. She turned and stomped away angrily. ..What just happened? I didn't expect her to.. I stood there, partly leaning down towards where Amu was. Time passed.

"Mama, what's that person doing there?" I heard a young girl ask behind me. "Ami! Don't point!" Her mom hushed her away. This snapped me back to reality, and I plotted a new plan to win Hinamori Amu's heart.

* * *

Okami: Yaayyyy, it doesn't drag on! How is it guys?? Aren't the little Amu-chans cute?! x3! And I'm sorry Tadase doesn't say anything. I couldn't fit him in anywhere. Hehe.. ^ - ^..

So, lately I've been working on my art. I'm trying to draw Soi FonxYoruichi chibis. I just wuv that pair! I drew Soi Fon pretty well, I guess, but Yoruichi doesn't look tough. See, the pictures supposed to be Soi Fon standing behind Yoruichi with a childish, blushing face, and she's watching Yoruichi in a pose. I put Yoruichi in a punch pose, but I can't get the fists to look where it's supposed to be (one in front, one in back..). Any help would be welcome. But you know what else would be great? If you r/r! Yay! Maybe I'll even scan the picture for you guys to look at later. It's in pencil, though. I wish I had one of those tablet/touch pad things. Sigh.. Money's tight at the moment.

Ah, I don't wanna get into my troubles. Don't we all have our own troubles these days? Wars, the economy, then the little things that pick and nibble at you till you're just this weird, gross little fleshy thing that winds up being picked up by a tissue and tossed in the rubbish. Nevertheless, I wish you all well, and have a nice day. Arooooo ~!

-Okami


	3. Chapter 3

[Amu +++]

Ran, Miki, Suu! Guess what happened! That Tsukiyomi Ikuto asked me out! What do I do?

-Amu

I texted my friends on my cell phone. We met online, and we've been messaging back and forth since then. It would take a while for them to text back. I lied down on my bed like a starfish.

_Amu.._ I could hear Ikuto's voice in my head. Get out, get out, get out, get out! Stupid, baka, moron, pervert! His face swirled around, evading all attempts to lasso it and toss it far, far away. _Date.. Date.. Date.._

I squirmed in my bed, then pulled the covers over my head and lied facedown. I held my breath for a while, as if it would clear my head. Soon my cell phone sang the special ring tone I reserve for my friends.

Hello, Amu-chan! Nice to hear from you. First off, tell us who this Tsukiyomi Ikuto is. Is he nice? Is he stupid? Is he an alien?

-RanMS

I laughed at their silliness. Although, you never know. Maybe he is an alien.

Ran, don't be silly. TsukiIkuto is a 2nd year highschool guy. Popular, rich, scary. Guys are scared of him cause he's strong. Girls like him cause he looks cool. He has blue eyes/hair, and looks fit. But he's really a perv, and he's weird. I only met him cause I went to karaoke w/ friends. His step dad owns the karaoke place. I don't know him well, but I guess I can see why girls like him.

-Amu

I closed my phone, shutting off the bright screen. My comforter blocked out all light, so it was pitch black. I couldn't do anything because of Ikuto, so I gave in. Ikuto.. I.. ku.. to.. even his name is cool. He smelled strangely of catnip. His eyes.. Blue like the sea, could make you forget everything. Oh no, I can't give up! Nononononono! Ughhh!! He's a pervert, _a pervert! _Though no matter how hard I tried, it felt like I was trying to hold my breath again; I could hold it until I turned blue, but I would still fall unconscious and gasp for air - or in this case, Ikuto.

Amu-chan, I think you should go out with him. He seems cool 33. You can never have too much love ;D.

-RMikiS

Stupid Miki! She's always getting crushes, even having multiple ones at the same time. She thinks it's fine. Well, I DON'T think you should go out with anyone just because of his or her appearances!

_ Miki, get your head out of the gutter. I don't want my first date to be with someone I barely know. I want it to be special. Suu agrees with me, right?!

-Amu

Of course, Amu-chan, you shouldn't judge a duster by its feathers, desho. Or do you? Okay, you shouldn't judge a vacuum by its shape, that works better, desho. I think.. You should get to know him, then decide. I hope I help, desho!

-RMSuu

Well, I've already decided! I already know he's a perv, so I won't. Even if he's one of those one-wheeled, new, super cool vacuums. Never!

-Amu

Amu, don't be so stubborn! Give in to your desires, I know you L-O-V-E Ikuto. Grab that handle and zooooom that vacuum around. Ran agrees with me.;'/? Amu! I'm cheering you on!./ Sorry, that was Ran. ;) Use your powers of seduction and then POUNCE!

-RMikiS

UGH! I'm not talking to you guys anymore. And at least delete the ';'/./' typo part when you get the cell back from Ran! Stuuuupid. Drop the vacuum references! I'm not replying after this. So, I don't care if his eyes are blue, or if he smells like catnip..!

-Amu

Heehee, you actually noticed those things..

-RMikiS

Grr! They aren't any help. I wish I had a big sister. Or a friend.. Maybe I should've asked for Nadeshiko's phone number.. She seems like she knows how to deal with things like this. She's everything I'm not, ladylike, smart, decisive, pretty. Why did Ikuto ask _me_ out?..

[Ikuto xxx]

"Meow, nya!" Yoru greeted as I opened my bag.

"Yo, Yoru. How could you sleep when it was so loud?" I answered

"Mewww, nya." I swear, I can understand him. His head that was held high and swishing tail sent off the message, _Because, I'm YORU, nya._

"Is that so?" I tapped his head and scooped him into my pocket. I walked along the empty halls until I reached my room. I climbed out of the window onto the roof below and I took Yoru out and lied down, with hands behind my head and legs crossed.

"Hinamori Amu." I couldn't get her out of my head. She shoved me. She rejected me. She walked away from me. She.. interests me. Pink hair, golden eyes. Her eyes were like pools of pure gold, and you could see their shine. What I liked most was her blush. She blushed like a strawberry.

"What am I doing?.." I muttered. Yoru walked over and stood on my chest, face looking down at mine.

"Nya?" Or, _What's wrong?_

"I have a craving for strawberries."

Okami: Whoo! 2 chapters in one day. I think it's goin' pretty well ^^. Ooh, you know what? I made a song!! Well, the lyrics. I don't know music too well, so I doubt I can write the lyrics. . Even though I wuv music, I can't tell if the music I'm playing is off-tune. Maybe it's 'cause I've played piano before (when I was young, then again 1 or 2 years ago, I quit after a couple months both times because I hated practicing. Although, now I'm pretty sure I can stick with it, but I REALLY wanna play guitar [but I'm broke so I can't pay for it!])? Or maybe I SHOULD know if the music I play is off-tune because I played piano.. Hmm. **HIC!** Agh, I have hiccups! Really big ones. Owwww.. Sometimes you can swallow hiccups. Then the hiccups don't hurt as much. But it's hard.

[Please do not read the following if you are not fond of tedious randomness]

Enough about hiccups. More on.. HOUSE M.D.! Kyaaa! XD. I love House, the show is awesome! I can't wait for the season premiere. 2.. Hours.. Of.. HOUSE! I could seriously faint. I am so tempted to go see if I can buy a leaked version.. Sigh.. [Spoiler of House following!! \(^ - ^)/]

I can't believe he thought he, err, did that with Cuddy. Wow.. First Kutner (betrays us all because he) commits suicide/leaves the show to work in the White House! Whyyyyy.. Oh, and sorry, non House fans. But I feel like letting it out. _Thirteen _and _Foreman_?! Woahhhh, Thirteen is like, pale and pretty, while Foreman is like, dark and scary. Yes, I am scared of Foreman. Please, don't call me racist. I can't help it! He SCARES me. And he's bald. *Teehee.*

SO, anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of 99 Days! Once again, R/R, have a nice day, don't strain yourself, don't get hit by a car, don't hit a car, yadda yadda..

Arooooo ~ !

-Okami

Oh, oh, oh, waaaaaait! Don't go!

P.S. Here is the short song! The tune should be a little sad, but not slow and mopey. Kinda like the song All Things Must Go! by the Weakerthans, my other favourite band. The latter inspires it, too.

For sale. My mending heart. Condition, battered, torn in two. Does not work very well.. Buy now, and oblivious trust comes with it. Price, attention, safety. And a friend. Satisfaction guaranteed.


	4. Chapter 4

"Amu-chi!" I heard Yaya greet as I tied my shoelace. It was the sports competition today, and everyone was required to participate in at least 4 activities. I liked sports, although I'm only average in them. The activities were soccer, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, obstacle course, and an assortment of track events. We also had a few fun activities at the end of the day, like the water fight. I was participating in soccer, volleyball, the obstacle course, standing long jump and the 400 metre dash.

"Hey, Yaya!" I answered, ecstatic have friends. Nadeshiko and Rima were both with them, Rima attracting fawning boys along the way.

"Hello, Amu." Rima smirked with a hint of arrogance. One of the boys were fanning her, while another was handing her a drink. She took the drink and popped the tab, taking a sip. "Thirsty?"

"Uh, no thanks.." I said in a sweat-drop moment. I changed the subject and asked them what activities they were participating in.

"I'm doing volleyball, Frisbee, the obstacle course and shot put. Nadeshiko is doing soccer, Frisbee, shot put and both dashes. Rima here has persuaded a couple of the volunteers to just put down a random score for her.. Heh heh."

"Rima.. H-how did you.." I stopped, knowing that Rima would just give me a smart (and insulting) response. "Forget it."

"So, Amu, which ones are you participating in? Maybe we're doing some together." I told her, and Yaya and her were both happy to be participating in one event each that I was in.

The soccer games started and I ran to the field, my friends cheering me on. While the teams would play or wait for their turn, everyone else would cheer. The soccer participants were split by grade. I was teamed up with 3 students from my class while the rest I didn't know. During the whole game, I was always passed the ball. While I wasn't too good, everyone backed away from me while I had it. I guess they were scared of the rumor that I beat up 3 high school soccer teams single handedly. It was obviously fake, but their mind was probably obscured by my 'cool-and-spicy' image. In the end, we won, 7-1. In 15 minutes.

The morning passed quickly. I won (without much effort, to my disappointment..) them all, with the exception of the Obstacle Course and the standing long jump (yet to be done). After lunch, I watched Nadeshiko flawlessly toss the Frisbee to Yaya, scoring a point. Next was the track activities; first one being shot put. Yaya was the fifth to throw, and she stood there enthusiastically. She bent her arm back expertly, thrusted it into the air to let if fly.. And it dropped out of her hand, stopping no more then 2 feet away. A sweat-drop moment passed as she froze there while the volunteer marked the distance; 1.7 feet.

"ALRIGHT! Now I'm going to get serious!" She thrusted her arm out again, yelling "SECOND LAUNCH!" in English and the ball flew. I swear it froze in mid-air, then dropped. Once again the distance was marked; 2.3 feet. Yaya stalked away, a dead expression on her face. Nadeshiko gave her a nice-try smile, and went up for her turn. I was surprised when she told me she was doing shot put, I never thought she could be able to do well.

She started up normally, her arm bent at the right angle. Then, her eyes shone with fire, and she let out a gruff battle cry. "YOSH!" And it flew, far, far away. And hit someone's head. Luckily, that someone was wearing a baseball helmet, (some of the guys had wandered off and started playing) but he still fell, face-flat, and even from my distance I saw his soul wander from it's body. The pale volunteer mumbled the distance, something like, "Fi-fifty f-feet..?"

"SUCCESS!" Nadeshiko grunted, and went for her second try. The volunteer handed her the heaviest shot put, shaking, and Nadeshiko tossed it in the air and caught it with one hand. "Excellent.."

The large orange and blue ball flew, soaring passed surprised seagulls, landing in the middle of the crowd of baseball players, making them abandon their plan to make Nadeshiko regret the first throw. They squealed, the one in the middle dropping his injured friend, and it landed right in front of his head. If we were close enough, we would have heard him squeak. Marking down the distance, or trying to, the volunteer whimpered, "Closer.."

Shot put passed quickly, no one beating Nadeshiko, or losing to Yaya. Next came the dashes. I was determined to at least get third place; I was a fast runner. 19 other girls lined up beside me, waiting the signal. "GO!"

We launched ourselves forward, feet thudding against the rocky gravel. I passed 2 girls, then another, and another, and soon I was side to side with Nadeshiko in the front.

"Sorry, Amu, even though you're my friend, I'm not letting you win! NO CHANCE IN HELL!" I could only cough on the dust as she zoomed ahead, winning before any of us reached the halfway mark. I ended up second.

"Eh heh heh, that was fun, wasn't it, Amu?" She giggled girlishly. Then she leaned in. "Wasn't.. it?"

"Y-y-y-yeah, I e-enjoyed it!" I replied, not wanting to face her wrath. The same thing happened at the 1 kilometre race. Nadeshiko was at the front, literally biting at the heads of anyone who got close, then with one strong push of her leg, she dashed to the finish line. Then giggled.

I was relieved to remember that Nadeshiko wasn't participating in the obstacle course, only Yaya. I gave her a 'good luck' and crouched at the starting point. At the volunteer's whistle, we, and some other girls and guys of random ages, launched ourselves through. It was a team obstacle course. Half of the course was to be done one by one, while the team members who finished were waiting in the middle. Once the whole team was through, they would split up in a random groups, the number of them and the activity to be done to be drawn from a box.

I was the first, so I ran, sliding under chairs, tossing beanbags into hoops and hula-ing the hula hoop. I drew the paper from the slot; one side saying PAIRS and the other saying 3 LEGGED RACE. Yaya finished at the same time, so was waiting for her members beside me. I handed the paper to the next person and decided to chat with her while waiting.

"Hey, Yaya! I love obstacle courses."

"Yeah, me too! The chair-thing is so easy for me cause I'm so short! So, what did you get on the paper? I got 4 and HUDDLE."

"PAIRS and 3 LEGGED RACE."

"Whaat?! You guys have it easy .! Huddles going to be hard since we can't see anything!"

"But you guys are in bigger groups, so it makes sense; the larger the group, the harder the activity."

"Uuu.. I guess it does. Hey! Our teams only have one member left!"

I turned to see the last member, an usually small boy with large round glasses struggling to run as fast as he could. My team cheered him on in good spirit, though some were angry and shouted at him. Then I noticed all of my team had split up in pairs already, legs tied. I looked for someone, anyone, who was free, as even the boy had a friend waiting.

"Hm. I guess we're going together." I heard someone say behind me. I turned.. To see Ikuto.

"I, I, IKUTO?!" I said. I was surprised that he would actually participate in something like this, even crawling under chairs (though that was answered by one of the volunteers yelling for Ikuto to redo the course, as all he did was throw bean bags, and he didn't even get any right). I was about to ask him, but he was already tying our legs. He relaxed his arm around my shoulder casually, yawning.

"My sister forced me. Or, blackmailed me." Ikuto explained, as if he knew what I was going to ask. I stood there, pondering how his sister could do that. Soon, only 2 pairs were left.

"Come on, let's get ready. I don't want you slowing me down." He smirked, and suddenly I felt over self-conscious of myself. I turned away, blushing._ 'Like a strawberry' _I remembered. A minute passed, and it was our turned. "Remember, don't slow me down. Now, start with your left foot."

I continued, starting a chant. "Outside, inside, outside, inside, out.. side.. IKUTO!!" He was walking slowly, like it was a walk in the park instead of a competition.

"What?" He replied casually.

"GO! They're going to win!" I yelled, pointing at the huddle at our left and to the right, where 2 people were carrying a person between them (holding their legs and arms, walking sideways like a strange crab).

"Only if you give me a kiss." He teased.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! NOW GO!" I insisted, growing redder.

"I want a kiss first. On the cheek." He turned his head forward, mocking me. GRR! How could this guy do this to us?! We all tried our best to win, and now this guy is going to ruin all their hard work. I swallowed my rage, and chose the best decision.

I kissed his cheek.

I hid it by pretending to hit him on the head. He faced me, at first shocked, then smirked. "Let's go!"

He ran, slowly at first to get me adjusted, then faster. We quickly overtook the other teams, but I started stumbling. Not wanting to slow down, I reluctantly clenched the back of his shirt for more control. That's it, just for more control.

So we passed the finish line, greeted with a barrage of 'FINALLY!'s and 'Better late then never!'s. Ikuto untied the cloth around our legs. Was it just the exhaustion, or did I see a tint of pink on his cheek?

"Sorry about the.. Kiss thing." Ikuto murmured, and turned to walk away. Sorry?.. I didn't expect that.

"Wait!" I said, and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. He turned, with the same shocked face as when I kissed him. "It's, erm, well, thank you for winning the race. I, um, m-mean that I know you did your best to help.. me.. So," I cleared my throat. "I hope you had fun." I finished. I hesitated, and I had a sudden urge to do something that normally, I would never have done. I kissed his cheek again. I smiled nervously, and turned.

I ran off quickly to chat with Yaya. Luckily, no one noticed my conversation with Ikuto as we were behind a tree. I fell into deep thought. _Why is my heart beating so fast?_

[Ikuto xxx]

I stepped behind a tree, far away from the loud crowd. If my feet weren't so good at their purpose, I probably would've stumbled. Just in time, too, because I couldn't control my head from exploding anymore. If anyone saw me, they would've seen me sitting, leaning against the tree with a hand hovering around my slightly rosy cheek. How humiliating. How stupid. How childish. How.. strange. I never feel this way. Maybe I was sick, a strange condition that makes your heart beat, your blood rush up to your skin, your brain go woozy.

And makes you feel new emotions.. The moment she kissed me, I felt like keeping her to myself. Caging her in my arms, making her only show her smile for me. Her eyes were so big, like a child's, threatening to swallow me up, and I might even want to let them.

I pulled out Yoru, rousing him from his deep sleep.

"Nyaaa?!" _What's the problem?!_

"Hormones, maybe. Or an illness. Should I go ask _him _for advice?"

"Mew?.. Nya." _That's it?.. Whatever._

I was putting Yoru back when I heard a voice behind me.

"Ikutoooo ~ !" Utau squealed. "Yay, I got so many pictures!"

Her eyes locked on me, and launched towards me, arms wide. I stood up quickly and side-stepped, making her crash into the nearby tree.

"I'm leaving, Utau."

"Nooo!! I need to take a picture of you soaking wet!" She pleaded, winding her arms around my waist. "Stay for the water fight, and I'll surrender the picture of you bathing when you were young."

"..You.. You still have that?! Fine. I'll stay, but I hate water."

"Yayy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!.." She paused. "Ikuto.. Who was that girl?" She whispered icily.

"None of your business. Don't touch her." I snapped. I hadn't though of what would happen if Utau saw. I remembered what happened in the previous years.. A girl had lent me her handkerchief, and the next day, someone wrote on her desk 'STAY AWAY FROM IKUTO'. That wasn't the worst of it. She bullied a girl who kept on talking with me because I sat beside her until she moved. Girls usually left me alone now, preferring to squeal at me from afar.

"I _saw _her kiss you! Who.. Is.. She?!" Utau demanded, tightening her grip.

"No one. Now let me go or I'll force you to!" She reluctantly loosened her arms and I walked back to the chatting crowd. The fun-games were starting.

[Amu +++]

I stood with the other participants. My class chose me to represent their class in the annual Seika high Olympics. The 'olympics' were mainly just a series of funny, sometimes silly, if the students choose, obstacles. They included bread eating, cos-play race, the people-scavenger hunt and the final random trivia. There were 12 games in total, and 3 representatives would do them. After school they would host it again so everyone else they could have a try, but at the moment there would be class prizes involved. I was the last representatives, so I had to the cos-play race, the people-scavenger hunt and the final random trivia. I wasn't nervous about the first two (the students at the cos-play table would probably find the coolest items for me to wear) but the final trivia was tricky. Last year, the participants had to hung upside down on bars, and instead of a buzzer they had to throw balloons full of flour at other players. I was the first representative that year, so I was lucky. _Not lucky this year, though.._

I watched as my classmates did dance moves, jumped for morsels of bread and dunk their heads in flour. It was all hilarious, and I laughed loudly along with everyone else. As the white-faced boy ran towards me, I prepared to run to the cos-play table. The boy (my classmate Takumori) slapped my hand and I took off. I was the second at the table, and the students there (who were supposed to hand me a _random _outfit) gave me cat ears, an oversized leather jacket and samurai sandals. I put on the clothes quickly, and clip-clopped past a boy wearing an extremely large afro, a skirt and fake high-heels, reaching the purple line before anyone.

The student inside the area held out a box for me to draw out of, scared I might pick out something bad and hit her, I guess. I pulled one out and unfolded it.

SOMEONE YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW (Opposite gender ;D)

I stared at the paper, feeling a slight blush on my cheek. Opposite gender?? If it didn't say that, I would pick Nadeshiko, or Yaya, or even Rima, but a guy? All of the guys in my class I'd rather not get to know, as most of them were the types who would bown down to my 'cool-and-spicy' image. I didn't know any guy though.. Then I remembered, and searched through the crowd for him. I spotted him, watching me from his perch up in a tree. He dropped down, curious.

"Come here!" I ordered, and I grabbed his arm. He followed me, probably confused, but he didn't say a word. I pushed through the murmuring crowd, and ran to the trivia event. During the event, Ikuto would have to sit quietly beside me.

Inside the area, there were 18 chairs in a row, each one with a picture of an animal taped to the back of the chair, and a small plastic kiddy pool full of what looked like strange green gelatin. I sat down on one of the chairs, first reading the message written on the cue card placed on each seat. Immediately, a Nikaidou-sensei, who was working there, pulled out a piece of paper and opened his mouth to question me.

"Where did the chicken come from?"

"Meow!" I said, earning a chuckle and a smirk from Ikuto. The 'buzzer' was to make the sound of the animal from the chair. "First they were wild, then humans domesticated them!"

"Correct! Good thing I taught it to you." I could imagine the thoughts from the crowd around us. _What things has he been teaching?!_

"What is the number of activities, no exceptions, today?"

"Baa!" I heard a girl answer. "Ten!"

"Wrooong!" He scooped up a handful of the weird gelatin and launched it at her. By now, 4 other students of different ages and genders arrived. "Anyone else?"

"Mew!" I meowed before anyone else did, though Ikuto still laughed. "11!"

"Correct! Next; who is the prime minister of Canada?"

"Woof! Arnold Swarzenegger!" A joking boy cried, earning a mouthful of gelatin.

"Roar! Tim Hor- Eek!"

"Bauk! Steven Harper!"

"Correct, Yoshito!" I doubted that was actually the high schooler's name, for he looked irritated and Nikaidou-sensei was renowned for messing up names. "What is 8 times 5 divided by 20 plus 19 minus 3 times 4 plus 34 divided in 2?"

I calculated in my head, ignoring the foolish boy who spoke - or croaked - up before he even knew. 40 divided by 20 is 2, so plus 19 would be 21, minus 3 equals 18, then times 3, 54, then plus 36, or was it 38?!

"Meow!" I didn't want to waste any time double-checking, in case one of the older students would get it. "I-it's 45!" I saw Nikaidou-sensei smile, and my heart settled.

"Wrong!" He scooped out some gelatin and it flew, right towards my face.

* * *

Okami: Phew, that was so long! But don't worry, my readers, I'm going to post up the next chapter as soon as possible, probably on the same day I published this one. Ah, I have so much work to do ... Maybe I shouldn't work on 2 series and a bunch of one-shots at once. But I have nothing to do this summer and I'm so bored.. Oh, and I need an online Japanese tutor, onegai?? I'm not even sure if onegai means please, but I'm pretty sure. I want to learn, but I can't just get the words to stick in my head. That's why I want a tutor. So, if someone has time, can they just drop in by my account and leave a message on some tips or something? That'll ram some pins up those evil syllables. At least I'm good and pronouncing the words.. I think.

And so, the usual.. R and r, come back for more, check my account for more stories and such, yadda yadda.. See ya later! Aroooooo ~ !

-Okami


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